My father needed surgery so I've just returned from a road trip to the Ann Arbor, MI VA hospital. I couldn't be more impressed with the facility and the staff.

My uninformed impression of the VA health care system had been that it is was staffed by uncaring people working in substandard facilities providing unsatisfactory care to our veterans. In the case of Ann Arbor, I couldn't have been more wrong. The Ann Arbor VA hospital was as nice a facility as I've ever been in and the staff, to a person, was magnificent. Excellent doctors, fantastic nurses, and friendly, helpful support staff. From top to bottom, front to back, it was an excellent experience.

Thanks to the VA hospital in Ann Arbor for taking care of Dad. He's home recovering and doing very well.

Glad your father is doing well. Here's to his complete recovery.

I’m really glad to hear that because the VA hospital in Atlanta is a place to avoid if at all possible.

I hope your father continues on his recovery.

Glad to hear of the excellent care provided to your dad. I wish him a speedy, and complete recovery.
I live within 20 minutes of this facility, and have heard other very similar comments about it.

Good to hear, thanks for posting. Best to your Dad.
Rod

quote:

Originally posted by 1gkek:
My father needed surgery so I've just returned from a road trip to the Ann Arbor, MI VA hospital. I couldn't be more impressed with the facility and the staff.

My uninformed impression of the VA health care system had been that it is was staffed by uncaring people working in substandard facilities providing unsatisfactory care to our veterans. In the case of Ann Arbor, I couldn't have been more wrong. The Ann Arbor VA hospital was as nice a facility as I've ever been in and the staff, to a person, was magnificent. Excellent doctors, fantastic nurses, and friendly, helpful support staff. From top to bottom, front to back, it was an excellent experience.

Thanks to the VA hospital in Ann Arbor for taking care of Dad. He's home recovering and doing very well.

This. Glad to hear your Dad is doing well, and I know you're proud of his service and sacrifice. Actually, the normal experience of many in the VA system, in spite of what you see in the MSM - and elsewhere. If you don't like the care you receive in Mass. General, you can bitch to the Administrator, or the Chief of Staff. Or maybe to the Director or CEO, if you could find them. That's pretty much it, or you could sue. If you're unhappy with the care you get in the VA, Congressman Drizzle will be happy to vilify them for weeks - every facility, everyone who works there or ever worked there, every physician, nurse, cleaning lady or cook - 24/7 on every media outlet. That's pretty much guaranteed to attract the best and brightest, and vastly improve the quality of care throughout the system. Which by the way, by almost every measurable outcome by independent survey organizations, has been shown to be better than most peer networks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doc H.,

Good to hear your dad received quality care. My wife and I have generally gotten top-notch care in Utah, from the VA.

The care at the VA facility in Richmond is hit or miss, but seems to be slowly improving. Depends on which doctor the patient has to deal with.

With the ascendency of Mr. Trump and the sureness that bad behavior will be shown the door, I find the VA to have improved quite a lot.
Ann Arbor rates a 4.

For those interested:
https://www.va.gov/QUALITYOFCA...ar_Rating_FY2017.asp

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckWall:
With the ascendency of Mr. Trump and the sureness that bad behavior will be shown the door, I find the VA to have improved quite a lot.
Ann Arbor rates a 4.

For those interested:
https://www.va.gov/QUALITYOFCA...ar_Rating_FY2017.asp

"In 2017 64% (94 out of 146) of VA Medical Centers Reported on SAIL Showed Improvement Compared to Their Baseline One Year Earlier."

And, you see zero downward pointing arrows.

Here's a link to complete SAIL (Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning) data for individual facilities, and updated star ratings (which are internal to the VHA) for 2018. Still upward trending, with one facility trending down that was already at a "5". Very complex measures, and difficult to decipher unless you're familiar with the measure, but the point being that these measures chart just about every aspect of healthcare outcomes in a system quarterly, they are available for public review, facilities are assuredly held to accountability, and there is ZERO comprehensive equivalent in the "civilian" marketplace.

VHA SAIL Data

My son and daughter in law both use the Ann Arbor VA and are very happy with the care they have received there. The Ann Arbor VA has a collaboration with the U of M hospital, my grandson was born there.

I was going to say, the VA there has a relationship with U of M and U of M is an amazing hospital. Glad to hear about the excellent care for our veteran/your father.

Glad you had a good experience
Sail data is weak- many hospitals are known to employ techniques to make data look better like transferring out seriously ill patients that might adversely affect numbers, and more. TheVA has a long way to go. As a get myself I feel the initiative to allow vets to have care provided by non VA providers is the way to go, and based on the costs to effectiveness data abolish the VA all together and simply provide vets with an “insurance card” and be done much cheaper and more effective in the long run

Well, I have a bit of experience and practice myself in VA and non-VA networks, and data collection and analysis in both. And in the political maelstrom that is Washington, DC.

And I could point out the diminished support for TRICARE benefits in the legislature, and continued attacks on same, and the increasing lack of actual military service among legislators. And the steadily increased costs, and restrictions on benefits for TRICARE beneficiaries over the years. Perhaps you had lifetime healthcare benefits promised by a recruiter. As long as the grass grows and the sun shines. Perhaps you are a TRICARE beneficiary who has experienced this. If you have not, you will. Speaking to the idea of any kind of "insurance card" subject to the whims of Congress, and the winds of political change. A grand idea, similar to the current idea floating of free healthcare for everyone. Your "insurance card" competes with that. Annually. With the budget. Without any of the clout that a Cabinet position carries for its advocacy. And I can assure you, as much as assurances are possible, that the current VA budget would not be converted, dollar for dollar, to pay for such a card, and if it was it would be insufficient, and that there's not a chance in Hell it would be even adequately funded, much less generously.

And I could point out that the VHA trains 60% of graduate medical professionals in the US, in close affiliation with most of the medical schools in the country. And that they have the largest database and experience with unique Veteran illnesses and conditions. And that there is really nothing equivalent "downtown," and that the training and care available has no replacement equivalent, anywhere, in this country or elsewhere. Not now, and not in the foreseeable future.

And I could point out that the current pay-to-play US healthcare system is seriously broken as far as costs and capacity. Even without "healthcare for all." And that non-VA care facilities and providers are not standing on the street corner hoping more patients will enroll. Particularly Veteran patients, with multiple serious co-morbidities, on multiple serious medications. And without the VHA, you now have a paper promissory note from the Federal Government. You might want to ask local providers about their perception of this experiment in the present Veterans Choice Program debacle.

And I could point out, if you were unaware, that the current active duty healthcare system is programmed for significant reduction in the very near future, and that active duty beneficiaries, and certainly their families, will also be competing for capacity in the "civilian" system. The same one in which Veterans will compete.

I could point this out. And that I'm a Veteran myself. But frankly, I grew weary of it in my time on the Hill, and more so now.

Unfortunately, all VA hospital s are not created equal. In my 20+ years in dealing with them, I have found the Battle Creek facility is riddled with inefficiency, apathy for patients, and oriented toward discharging patients to other facilities, so they can avoid the responsibility. It was a total nightmare. I am glad to hear you have had a good experience with AA.

Thanks for posting the ratings and data, ChuckWall and Doc H.

Dad's roommate in the hospital couldn't find a nice thing to say about the Detroit VA hospital (his fluency in profanity was a strong testament to his service ) but he echoed our praise of Ann Arbor. He'd been there 18 days and was finally recovering.

After having been frustrated finding attentive quality care near where he lives, Dad turned to the VA out of choice, not necessarily necessity. It seems to me that once he rolled off his employers health insurance into medicare, it got more difficult to get prompt and effective attention from Doctors in the area he moved to after retirement.

Impressed by his entire experience with VA, he's encouraged me to get set up in the VA system as well. I'm a Gulf War veteran and though my health is good and I've got good employer provided benefits, it's not a terrible idea. Though based on the rating posted in this thread, St Louis VA doesn't look so great.

I live about 10 minutes away from the Ann Arbor VA Hospital. Please let me know ASAP if your Dad is still in the VA Hospital ( my email is in my profile), and he wishes to have visitors. I could go and visit him, play cards with him, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by sidss1:
I live about 10 minutes away from the Ann Arbor VA Hospital. Please let me know ASAP if your Dad is still in the VA Hospital ( my email is in my profile), and he wishes to have visitors. I could go and visit him, play cards with him, etc.

Thanks for the offer but he's home and doing very well.

My brother spent several weeks in Hospice care at the VA in Richmond due to his service in Afghanistan. I can say unequivocally he received the finest care from some of the most compassionate caring people I have ever encountered.

I was constantly amazed at the level of respect and care he received. His last days were spent with caregivers who understood and appreciated his service.

Also, there were many local organizations and volunteers who had a relationship with the VA and came in and visited the service members on a regular basis. Even several local colleges had their ROTC students visit. My brother especially enjoyed meeting and talking with them when he felt up to it.

Every staff member that I came in contact with were so concerned for his comfort and that of his family. I was awestruck at how many times they thanked him for his service to his country and how earnest they seemed when expressing this. And most of them were veterans.

I will always hold in high regard the people I came in to contact with at the Richmond VA.